Here is a story that even a monkey would go ape about. A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression ‘going bananas’ is from the effects of bananas on the brain. When compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. No wonder monkeys are so happy all the time!

1. Energy Boost: Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

2. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

3. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

4. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

5. Depression:According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

6. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

7. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

8. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

9. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

10. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

11. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

12. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

13. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

14. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

15. Quit Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

16. Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

17. Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

18. Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

19. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

20. Overweight at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

BONUS: Shoe Polish - want a quick shine on your shoes? Take the inside of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe. Finish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. Perhaps it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A banana a day keeps the doctor away!’

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ykse8uiaCdM&hl=en&fs=1&”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ykse8uiaCdM&hl=en&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>

Okay so we know that waking up and doing things in the morning is the best way to achieve our goals in life. We can exercise, study, work, meditate, etc. much better than other times in the day. However, most of us feel pretty crap in the morning.

So what can we do about it? How can we wake up ready for work?

Update: You might want to check out this post that has advice from a Buddhist Yogi about waking up early.

Ways to wake up feeling fresh in the morning

Here are some things you can do in the short term and the long term so that you will wake up fresh and energetic in the morning. I’ve divided them up into three sections; (1) the night before and (2) during the night and (3) the morning.

The Night Before

1. Avoid coffee, red wine and chocolate the night before
To wake up fresh you need to get a good sleep and one of the best ways to ruin a good sleep is to upset your gut. You really need to keep it happy during the night.Coffee, red wine and chocolate have been scientifically shown to disturb your sleep more than any other food. They upset your intestines in such a way that you will wake up constantly or have a very light sleep that doesn’t re charge you at all. Try not to have these things after lunch time.

2. Go to bed happy with your partner
One of the best ways to get a terrible sleep is to go to bed before you solve a problem with your partner. In my relationship I never let the sun set on an argument, even if I have to compromise a little bit on my own ego.

Before you go to bed make sure your partner is happy (as much as you can) and make sure that you are happy with them. It is also one of the best things you can do for your relationship, let alone your sleep.

3. Meditate, pray and calm down before going to bed
Every night before I go to bed I do about 30 minutes to an hour of meditation. This is amazing as it allows you to throw out all the days worries and forget about the worries of tomorrow. The future cannot be changed while you are asleep and the past is gone so there is no point losing sleep over it! Let it go.

Meditate or pray or do whatever you do. Simply sitting there and watching your breath is a great way to prepare yourself for a nice deep sleep. Check outthis post if you want to learn to do a quick little stress relieving meditation.

4. Don’t eat dinner right before bed
A lot of people run home after work, cook up some dinner and then eat it and go to bed. This is a bad idea. The process of digestion takes a while and you do not want to be laying down right after you ate a big meal. Try and leave a few hours in between your bedtime and your dinner and see how you feel the next day.

5. Organize your room according to Feng Shui principles
I know a lot of you probably think that Feng Shui is a load of bull but just give me a second to convince you that it actually has some “western logic” behind it.

For those of you who don’t know Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of setting up your home in a way that balances the energies and vibes by putting furniture in certain “hot spots”.

The bedroom is particularly important and I have found that since I arranged my room according to Feng Shui principles I have had a much more “rested” sleep. In particular the placement of your bed is important. Feng Shui tells us that you should sleep where you can see the door but not be in he direct path of the door opening. This helps us sleep with a sense of security. I can see the practical reason for this. You can get some more bedroom Feng Shui tips here.

6. Go to the toilet
Even if you do not need to go to the toilet before bed you should still have a go and squeeze out whatever you can. The reason for this is that the kidneys will continue to work during the night and by the morning your bladder will be nice and full. If your bladder fills up early you might feel the need to go during the night and this cuts out valuable time from your sleep.

You might think that sleeping is about the total time spent asleep but this is incorrect. It is important to stay asleep without breaking it because it takes some hours to get into the “zone” where you are truly at rest. A toilet break interrupts this zone.

During the Night

7. Not too hot, not too cold
Another sleep related tip: your sleep is greatly affected by the how hot or cold you are during the night. It is important to get a good balance as this keep your energies calm and stops them from spiking.

Try and find a balance between clothes and bed covers. For example, I like to sleep without any clothes but with a heavy blanket. This keeps my temperature pretty consistent.

8. Keep the window open
One of the best things you can do for your health in general and your sleep in specific is to keep your window slightly open during the night. This has two benefits.Firstly, the gap in the window will allow poisonous carbon dioxide to float away. The reason the human body breathes out is because carbon dioxide is poisonous. And during the night you take a heck of a lot of breaths and your room fills up with this gas. Let it out the window.

The second reason is that you need to allow new oxygen to float in. This might also help you regulate the temperature of the room.

9. Keep your sleep consistent
People think that you MUST have eight hours sleep to get enough.

Not true.

It is more important to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time everyday. Not everyone needs eight hours. In fact, if I get eight hours sleep I usually feel tired and groggy for the entire day. Six to seven hours is about right for me.

Start by setting your bedtime at the same time each night. Forget what is on the television and just go to bed at say 11pm each night. After a while start setting your alarm for the same time each day; even on weekends. If you don’t start waking up fresher and happier each morning I will write you a personal apology.

10. Cut out noise, it’s actually killing you!
I recently read in New Scientist Magazine that your life is actually being shortened by noise during the night. Yep, that’s right… that screaming police car or roaring traffic is actually killing you! The magazine said that the noise has an effect on your heart and waking up many times during the night puts your body under a lot of stress.

Try and keep your room quiet by wearing some earplugs. You can get earplugs that only cancel out certain sounds so that you can still hear your alarm or a baby monitor on your bedside table.

The Morning

11. Drink a glass of water
A cool glass of water on an empty stomach actually has a lot of health benefits as well as serving to wake you up. The water will kick start your metabolism and as such you will wake up faster and feel more alert.

12. Exercise
When you are groggy in the morning and nice run in the fresh air can wake you up fast. However, the interesting thing is that when you exercise in the morning you will actually have more energy the NEXT day. The more you exercise the more energy you will have as you become fitter and healthier.

If you need some tips to get up and exercise early check out this post on early morning exercise hacks.

13. Don’t drink coffee… everyday
Science is now showing that our body becomes accustomed to the caffeine in our coffee and we have less of a reaction to it. This means that your daily cup of coffee is waking you up less and less every day that you drink it.

A better idea is to save the morning coffee for when you are really tired and need a little bit of help. Perhaps if you had to stay out late or get up extra early and you have disturbed your regular sleeping habit. This is the time to have a cup of coffee.

14. Breathe deeply
The first thing you should do in the morning is take some deep breaths into your stomach and concentrate on waking up. Imagine breathing in a bright white light that makes your body feel happy and light.

15. Have something to be excited about
If you get up and go to a job you hate to work with a boss that drives you crazy you are not going to really enjoy waking up. However, if you have something you enjoy to go to you will be more likely to wake up happy knowing you have a bit of joy coming your way.

If you can’t leave your terrible boss then you should make time in the morning to do some sport or activity that makes you happy. Start your day with something happy and fun as opposed to starting it with work.

16. Get up straight away
When I was in the Himalayas a buddhist master told me that one of the best things you can do to wake up early and feel alert and fresh is to get up straight away. As soon as your alarm goes off you should get up without snoozing it over and over again.

He said to me half jokingly: “You have to get up before your self cherishing does”.

17. Be grateful for not dying
The Buddha said that every time you go to bed you should consider that you won’t wake up. That way, when you wake up you will be especially grateful for the day you have ahead of you. Instead of seeing the day as a burden that you have to “get through” you will see it as an opportunity to do something meaningful and beneficial.

Why? Because you could die tonight.

When applied correctly this realization will bring you tremendous energy.

Conclusion on waking up freshly

Each of these tips works. I have tried it on myself and my friends. And the great thing is that the more of these tips you apply the fresher you will feel when you wake up. Try them yourself.

Family: Valerianaceae; (includes Spikenard, Jacob’s Ladder)

Genus and Species: Valeriana officinalis

Also known as: Garden valerian, Phu, All-heal

Parts used: Rhizome and root

Back in the 13th century, the elders of Hamelin, Germany, decided to rid their town of rats. They contracted with an itinerant flute player, one Pied Piper, whose music attracted the rodents, allowing him to lead them out of town. But when the Pied Piper returned for his fee, the elders of Hamelin refused to pay him. In revenge, he used his flute to charm Hamelin’s children away forever.

In modern versions of this story, the Pied Piper’s powers are entirely musical. But early German folklore credits him with being an accomplished herbalist as well. In addition to his hypnotic flute playing, the Pied Piper charmed both the rats and the children with hypnotic valerian root. (Valerian can. indeed, charm rats-and cats. It contains chemicals similar to those in catnip.)

Fu Means P-U

Valerian has a disagreeable odor, and ancient Greek and Roman authorities, including Dioscorides. Pliny, and Galen all called it fu. The term Valeriana first appeared around the 10th century, derived from the Latin valere, to be strong.

Dioscorides recommended valerian as a diuretic and antidote to poisons. Pliny considered it a pain reliever. Galen prescribed it as a decongestant. By the time the plant’s name became valerian, early European herbalists considered it a panacea and also called it all-heal. The German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen recommended the herb as a tranquilizer and sleep aid about 100 years before the Pied Piper used it as a hypnotic.

For Epilepsy and Plague

During the late 1500s, valerian’s popularity grew after an Italian physician claimed he cured himself of epilepsy using it. In 1597, herbalist John Gerard wrote that in Scotland “no broth or physic [medicine] … be worth anything” if it did not include valerian. Gerard recommended the herb enthusiastically for chest congestion, convulsions, bruises, and falls.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper added several recommendations: “The decoction of the root … is of special virtue against the plague. [It] provokes women’s courses [menstruation] … is singularly good for those troubled with cough … is excellent [for] any sores, hurts, or wounds … “Later, European herbalists considered the herb a digestive aid and treatment for “hysteria” (menstrual discomforts).

Tranquilizer Par Excellence

Early colonists discovered several Indian tribes using the pulverized roots of native American valerian to treat wounds. Indian use of the herb brought it to the attention of Samuel Thomson, the founder of Thomsonian medicine, which was popular before the Civil War. Thomson called valerian “the best nervine [tranquilizer] known.”

Valerian entered the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a tranquilizer in 1820 and remained there until 1942. It was listed in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ guide, until 1950.

The 19th-century Eclectics prescribed it as a “calmative … for epilepsy .. mild spasmodic affections … [and] hypochondria.” However their text, King’s American Dispensatory, warned against using large doses because they caused “restlessness, agitation, giddiness, nausea, and visual illusions.”

During World War I, Europeans afflicted with “overwrought nerves” from artillery bombardment frequently took valerian.

Contemporary herbalists generally agree with David Hoffmann’s Holistic Herbal, which calls valerian “one of the most useful relaxing herbs.” Today’s herbalists recommend it for nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, headache, and intestinal cramps.

In West Germany, where herbal medicine is considerably more mainstream than it is in the United States, valerian is the active ingredient in more than 100 over-the-counter tranquilizers and sleep aids, some of which are specially formulated for children, a use the Pied Piper would probably endorse.

Some suggested old home remedies. No endorsement is intended nor liability assumed since most of these home remedies are not proven or approved as pest control recommendations.

1. Banish ants from your pet’s food dish by wiping the floor under and around it with a cloth dipped in kerosene. Then stand the food dish in a larger dish containing water.

2. Keep ants from crawling up a picnic table by standing each leg in a small pan of water.

3. To kill ants, use a paste of equal parts of borax and confectioner sugar.

4. Mix mint apple jelly and boric acid for ant control (two tablespoons boric acid powder per 10 ounces of mint apple jelly).

5. Leave a few tea bags of mint tea near areas where the ants seem most active. Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also work as ant deterrents.

6. Keep a small spray bottle handy, and spray the ants with a bit of soapy water.

7. Mix peanut butter (six parts), brown sugar (one part), one-half teaspoon salt with boric acid (one part) for ant control.

8. For ant control, spray vinegar around door and window frame, under appliances, and along other known ant trails.

9. If ants are coming in through doors or windows, put a cinnamon stick across the path. They will not cross it.

10. Mix three cups water, one cup sugar and four teaspoons boric acid powder for ant control. (Pour a over a cotton wad in a small dish or bottle cap.)

11. Sliced or crushed cucumbers to keep cockroaches away from food.

12. Mix equal parts of boric acid powder, powdered sugar, and cornmeal as a poison bait for cockroaches.

13. Mix equal parts of plaster of Paris and powdered sugar as a poison bait for cockroaches.

14. It is a little known fact that roaches like high places. If you put borax on TOP of your kitchen cabinets (not inside), if space allows between ceiling and cabinets, the roaches will take the borax to their nests, killing all of them.

15. Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them.

16. Walk through a room wearing white socks to detect fleas. Dark fleas jumping on the white background are easily seen.

17. Use banana peels to repel fleas.

18. Feed yeast to dogs to repel fleas.

19. Fleas HATE Stash Earl Grey. Tear open a few bags, scatter the tea about on your carpet and vacuum up in a few days.

20. For flea control, add a little vinegar to your pet’s drinking water to fight fleas and mange.

21. For flea control add ½ teaspoon to the wash water or a few drops to the pets shampoo.

22. Suspend a light bulb over a pan of oil or soapy water to attract and drown fleas during the night.

23. For a fly repellent - 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup Avon Skin So Soft, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon Eucalyptus oil, 1 tablespoon citronella oil - Put in a spray bottle and spray dog’s coat.

24. Mix water with cornstarch into a paste and apply. This is effective in drawing out the poisons of most insect bites and is also an effective remedy for diaper rash.

25. Rub jewel weed on mosquito bites and poison ivy to control itch.

26. For mosquito bites apply lime juice diluted with water on bites with cotton ball.

27. Mozzies won’t bite if you mix 4 parts glycerine, 4 parts alcohol, 1 part eucalyptus oil. Or make a solution of equal parts of isopropyl alcohol and methyl phthalate.

28. If you’re using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.

29. Put an opened bottle of Oil of Pennyroyal Essence in the room you want mosquito free.

30. Use Avon’s Skin-So-Soft as an insect repellent for people and pets (good mosquito repellent). It helps relieve itching caused by insect bites and dry skin. Also, mix five parts water, one part Skin-So-Soft and mist on show animals. Brush in to make their coats gleam and keep insects off so your animal won’t fidget.

31. Use hedge apples for control of crickets and spiders.

32. For grass and weeds growing between stones or bricks on walks or terraces, sprinkle 20 Mule Team borax powder and sweep into cracks (one application every other year).

33. Apply tobacco and snuff juice for wasp stings and bites.

34. Use beer or yeast dissolved in water in pit fall traps (cups sunk into the ground) to attract and drown snails and slugs.

35. Prevent mosquitoes from breeding in rain barrels by applying 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water’s surface.

36. Tick and Fly Spray - two cups white vinegar, one cup Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil, one cup water, one tablespoon eucalyptus oil (available at drugstores and health food stores).

37. Pour hot boiling water and a strong cleaning detergent down the drain to eliminate nuisance gnats and flies.

PLANTS & HERBS

• Basil - plant close to the house and it will repel mosquitos.
• Lavender - plant around the house to repel flies and mosquitos.
• Castor Bean Plant - plant in pots within the house; replant outdoors to repel mozzies.
• Scented Geraniums - plant in pots and the garden to repel mosquitos
• Citrosa Plants - plant in pots and the garden to repel mosquitos
• Lemon Thyme - plant in pots to repel mosquitos
• Citronella Grass - plant in pots to repel mosquitos
• Common Marigold - plant in pots and the garden to repel mosquitos
• Thai Lemon Grass - (Cymbopogon citratus) is an effective mosquito repellent.
• Rosemary - powdered Rosemary leaves are used as a flea and tick repellent
• Chamomile - repels mosquitos
• Citriodora - repels mosquitos

MORE USEFUL PLANTS FOR YOUR GARDEN

• Red Raspberry Leaves (Rubus idacus) - the leaves strengthen the muscles of the uterus
• Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) - leaves used whole or in powdered form for bleeding cuts
• Hen-and-chicks (houseleek) - Sempervivum tetorum - soothes minor stings and burns
• St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) - used for burns and scrapes
• Yarrow (achillea millefolium) - stops bleeding

Could essential oils extracted from lavender be used as a natural herbicide to prevent weed growth among crops? Research carried out in Italy and reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Environment and Health suggests the answer may be yes.

Elena Sturchio of the National Institute of Health and Safety at Work in Rome and colleagues there and at the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, and the Department Crop Production, at Tuscia University, in Viterbo, have investigated the inhibitory effects on weed growth of aromatic oils, or mixtures of phytochemicals, from plants such as lavender, Lavandula officinalis.

Essential oils, are as the name suggests, often the plant’s “essence” in terms of odour. Essential oils are complex chemical mixtures of natural products made by the plant for its own purposes, including terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and phenols. Indeed, several plant essential oils are present as natural inbuilt herbicides and pesticides.

Synthetic pesticides and herbicides have been in common use for decades and have protected crops from parasites, insects, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and eliminated weeds. However, by virtue of their design, these substances are toxic and in some cases thought to be carcinogenic. Their incorrect use or inadvertent exposure have been the focus of numerous studies on animal and human health, the results of which have led to serious initiatives to find alternative approaches to pest and weed control.

Other researchers have investigated the potential of essential oils from cinnamon plants, and peppermint to prevent seed germination of some weed species found in the Mediterranean region.

Sturchio and colleagues have investigated the effects of lavender oil on root growth in a plant, Vicia faba in trials. This weed has large chromosomes and so was also amenable to studies in the laboratory that investigated the genetic toxicity of the essential oil on the weed. Their analysis showed the oil to be effective at killing the weed even at low concentration. Moreover, the oil affects growth of soil microbes and fungi involved in crop growth.

The team concludes that, “Essential oils could be useful as potential bioherbicides as an alternative strategy to the chemical remedy.” They add that, “The use of phytochemicals permits the development for more sustainable agriculture at low environmental impact. Further studies are now needed to evaluate use of such oils “in the field”.

The team points out that the oils would most likely be used either before planting or prior to transplantation of seedlings, so the essential oil would not have toxicity effects on the crop itself. Sturchio adds that, “essential oils are not accumulated in the environment, because of their low persistence due to the easy degradation by microbial and enzyme activity. This aspect could represent an advantage compared to the bioaccumulation of chemicals on soil.”

1. Miriam Zanellato, Eva Masciarelli, Laura Casorri, Priscilla Boccia, Elena Sturchio, Mario Pezzella, Andrea Cavalieri, Fabio Caporali. The essential oils in agriculture as an alternative strategy to herbicides: a case study. International Journal of Environment and Health, 2009; 3 (2): 198 DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2009.024878

Article Posted: 07/17/2007

Nagchampa is considered as one of the most fascinating incense of Indian origin. It bears its importance since ancient days when the people used to burn incense woods on religious ceremony and prayers. Since then it has evolved along the generations and now is used globally due to its fragrance.

So what’s exactly is Nagchampa, it is an aromatic blend of resins, gums, spices, flowers and oils with a wonderful after-aroma. It is commercially available in the form of incense sticks and cones besides this it is found in soap, perfume oils and incense candles.

In soap base, nag champa oil mixed with natural herbs acts as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bactericidal, fungicidal, action on the skin. It helps to remove scars, stretch mark and slack tissues and makes the skin wrinkle free and natural. Nag champa sachet can now be used at the places where burning of a stick is not possible like in cars. This helps to refresh mood and increases concentration while driving. As the fragrance has deep impact on ones mind, body and soul; Incense’s Fragrances are now used a lot in Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy helps to control stress of day-to-day life. Nag champa candles not only provide light but also refreshes the air in the room with its sweet fragrance.

Historically Nag Champa belongs to the “Champa” class of Indian incense, having its origin from the Champa flower. Nag Champa incenses contains natural vernacular ingredient of India called “Halmaddi”, which is a semi-liquid resin obtained from the Ailanthus Malabarica tree which ultimately gives Nag Champa its characteristic grey color.

There is an exclusive position for Nag champa in Hindu religion where it is considered as sacred and is always used in religious ceremony or event. Nagchampa has been appreciated for centuries as exceptional quality incense for calming meditation and for creating sacred spaces. It has a strong fragrant with long lasting effect, as a result the scent will linger in your room for hours.

Nagchampa finds its applications in:

* Religious Ceremonies * Morning Prayers * General Fragrance in Houses / Offices * Special Events * Bath & Body etc.

It is an assumption that Nag champa is used only in Indian Markets, but stats has shown that the product pertaining to Nag Champa is of high demand in the Western World including North America. It is much more preferred than the artificial perfumes because of the Nagchampa natural behavior and is highly used in gifts pack for gifting on special occasions.

Aromatherapy and essential oils have long been used in the health care sector, yet little is known about the origins of their use in this setting.

Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale, one of the founders of the modern nursing profession, was born on May 12, 1820. She was brought up in a religious household and on February 7, 1837 Florence believed she heard a calling from God, though at the time she did not know what this calling was.

Nightingale’s Nursing Training

In 1845, despite her family’s objections, Florence felt the need to get some hospital experience. Nursing was not considered a suitable occupation for a well-educated woman and nurses were considered coarse and ignorant and given to promiscuity and drunkenness. It was not until 1950 that she had the chance to start training as a nurse at the Institute of Saint Vincent de Paul in Alexandria, Egypt, a hospital run by the Roman Catholic Church. After training at various hospitals she returned to England and took an unpaid position as the Superintendent at the Establishment for Gentlewomen during Illness (Wikipedia and The Gap System).

Crimean War and the start of Aromatherapy

March of 1954 saw the start of the Crimean War and Nightingale was stationed in Turkey where she and her team of 38 nurses found the conditions to be deplorable. In addition to badly neglected patients, she found that medical supplies were in short supply and the hygienic conditions were so bad that mass infections were common. Soldiers were lying on bare floors, surrounded by vermin. Cholera and typhus were rife and soldiers were seven times more likely to die in the hospital than on the battleground. During Nightingale’s time at this hospital she managed to reduce mortality rates by 45% simply by ordering the hospital to be cleaned. (http://www.anarreshealth.ca).

These are the conditions under which Nightingale first began to use aromatherapy and essential oils. She is credited with putting lavender on the brows of injured soldiers, believing correctly that the lavender would soothe them and she believed that “modifying the noxious aspects of the criticalcare environment” was very important. (McDowell B. Nontraditional therapies for the PICU, part 1. J Spec Pediatric Nursing 2005). According to a letter she sent on April 7, 1856, a week after the Crimean War ended, Nightingale ordered six bottles of tincture of myrrh from the principal medical storekeeper at the Balaclava General Hospital. (http://www.nursingcenter.com)

History of Essential Oils and Nursing

Nightingale’s lasting legacy on the profession of nursing is widely known. What is not as well known is her use of aromatherapy in the nursing profession. According to nursingcentre.com, “the most prominent nurse aromatherapist was Madame Marguerite Maury (1895–1968)”. Mme Maury is credited with classifying essential oils and it is believed that she established the first aromatherapy clinics in Paris, England, and Switzerland.

How toothpaste removes blackheads

What natural, organic mixture can you whip up in your kitchen that will cleanse blackheads that are formed when follicles (pores) with wide openings become filled with sebum and sloughed-off skin cells? Toothpaste (non-gel) is only one quick remedy that helps the pore to dry out.

Why let commercial toothpaste full of fluoride and saccharin be absorbed into your follicle when you can clear-out blackheads by letting a dab of milk of magnesia dry on your pore or swabbing your blackhead with tea tree oil diluted with some distilled water? It works just as well, and it’s from a mineral or plant. Make your own antibacterial toothpaste and use it also for blackheads and to clean your teeth.

In Aromatherapy and in Ayurvedic solutions, also used to get rid of blackheads are coriander, thymus vulgaris, peppermint, and lemongrass. Peppermint is used in making natural toothpaste. Can natural toothpaste and blackhead dispatchers live together in harmony? See the Woman Junction aromatherapy for skin site.

Natural Toothpaste Help for Blackheads
Make toothpaste out of equal parts of baking soda, salt, and crushed sage in a glass jar and shake. Store the dry mixture in the covered jar. When you want to put the mixture on your blackhead, mix 1/2 teaspoon of the dry ingredients with 1/4 teaspoon of tea tree oil and a few drops of water to dilute the tea tree oil.

Never apply tea tree oil undiluted to your skin. Mix and apply with a cotton tip to your blackhead. Let dry for an hour and wash off. Keep the dry mixture for brushing your teeth. When you’re ready to brush your teeth, put a teaspoon of the mixture in a small cup or bowl and dip in your moistened brush. It’s optional whether you want to add one or two drops of tea tree oil (no more) to your natural toothpaste that also works to remove blackheads.

More Ways to Get Rid of Blackheads
Look for an ingredient, usually a spice that kills bacteria but not your skin. Blackheads form when your pore is too large. Shrink your pore with an ice cube for a few seconds.

Besides using natural, home-made toothpaste without commercial chemicals to swab on your delicate skin, what also helps blackheads (oil and dead cells) dry up quickly and brush off? Consider the following items usually found in your kitchen or bathroom and use each one alone a few times until you find which works best for your skin:

1. witch hazel
2. radish seeds with a few drops of water crushed into a paste
3. neem oil (used commonly in India)
4. turmeric (used commonly in India as a paste mixed with water)
5. tea tree oil mixed with water (used commonly in Australia)
6. egg white and raw, unfiltered honey
7. cinnamon and cloves mixed with raw honey
8. aloe vera juice applied to the blackhead
9. milk of magnesia swabbed on the spot. Let it dry and wipe off.
10.magnesium citrate powder, for example, Natural Calm (615 mg). Use one tablespoon with a few drops of water to make a paste for your pore.
11. zest of citrus–ground orange or lemon peel mixed with a bit of water
12. lemon juice on the pore left to dry several hours
13. make a toothpaste of salt and water. Let it dry on the pore overnight.
14. sliced cucumber on your pore
15. oat meal and avocado mashed with egg white–let dry and rinse
whipped to standing peaks egg white alone–let dry and wash off
16. sea or rock mineral salt and water as a paste

What Cleans the Teeth Cleans the Pores
A basic toothpaste made of salt and water as a paste works well to dry up blackheads. The idea is to get rid of the bacteria with salt water. You can add a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the salt and water paste and then use it to brush your teeth. Add a drop of tea tree oil. It works on your teeth if diluted and used in tiny amounts, and it gets rid of acne and blackheads on your face. At the Tea Tree oil uses site, read more about tea tree oil.

At the Discover Neem site, read more about the uses of neem oil (rubbed on the gums in India). Sometimes people chew on neem twigs in India. The twig acts as a natural neem oil toothbrush.

Crushed sesame seeds and sesame oil are used in India both as a toothpaste and to clear the skin. Anti-bacterial qualities of neem oil can be used on the gums or on your blackhead.

If you have an oily skin, instead of smoothing an antibacterial natural oil on your face, dry up the sebacious follicle with a solution like milk of magnesia, egg white, lemon juice, citrus peel, ground sage, or a simple and inexpensive paste of salt and water.

Clean Blackheads Away with Magnesium Citrate Powder and Water
Mix a tablespoon of Natural Calm magnesium citrate powder with a few drops of water. Apply the paste to your blackhead. Let dry overnight and rinse off. You can read more information about magnesium citrate powder at the Natural Calm . Buy magnesium citrate powder from most health food stores or online.

Make Your Own Blackhead Remover
If toothpaste on your pores is not for you, then whisk the white of an egg with 1/4 teaspoon of raw, unfiltered honey. Let the bubbly froth dry on your pore for a few hours, and wash away the blackhead. Also letting a dab of milk of magnesia dry on your follicle works just as well.

Neem Oil for Blackheads
Dab a few drops of neem oil on your blackheads. See the site for medicinal uses of neem oil. Not only does this antibacterial oil help to clear up blackheads, but it’s also used in India to heal gums, to disinfect, to repel insects and fungus, and also is placed on the skin (a few drops) for sunburn, chapped lips, and several other external remedies. See another site for more skin uses of neem oil at the Indian Neem Tree Company(tm). Here are some tips to get rid of blackheads naturally.

First try alkaline products such as milk of magnesia on your blackhead. If your skin needs more acidic ingredients rather than alkaline, then try acidic products on your black head. For example orange or lemon peel creates an acid environment on your skin. Which works best on your individual skin–acidic or alkaline? Find out which works best by trying both. Use natural products such as salt and water to cleanse your skin. Quickly wash off any salt as it dries your skin.

Resources for further information:

• Neem Oil
• Uses of Neem Oil in India
• Aromatherapy for Skin Care